Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident: What Are Legal Options?
According to the Austin American-Statesman, on May 10, an unidentified driver on East Highway 290 hit an Austin man. The young man, later identified by KEYE TV as 25-year-old Valentin Aguilar Jr., tragically died at the scene. Detectives from the Austin Police Department are searching for the driver and have asked to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the fatal hit-and-run accident. If you have any information, call APD Vehicular Homicide Unit Detectives at (512) 974 – 8164.
Valentin Aguilar’s family is left behind to cope with the tragic loss of this young man. They should not have to face this alone – there are options for recovering compensation for the emotional distress and financial strain caused by the loss of a loved one.
Our injury law firm regularly represents people hit and sometimes killed by reckless drivers. Hit and run crashes are some of the worst cases we see. We are currently representing a woman whose husband was hit and killed by an 18-wheeler. We were able to help with the expenses of his death and are in the midst of negotiating a settlement for her and their son.
With a hit-and-run, the standard route for compensation becomes more complicated. Hopefully, police will be able to identify the driver who hit Valentin, and there will be enough liability auto insurance to cover his family’s expenses.
If police locate the driver, but there isn’t any or enough insurance, the family can then explore coverage under their Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UIM) policy.
UIM is an elective coverage that we strongly recommend opting for. It provides payment if the insured driver is hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver. In this case, UIM is very important because it also extends to any interaction with a vehicle in use – you can be a pedestrian, bicyclist, or passenger in another car, and still be covered.
In hit-and-run cases where there is a wrongful death, a skilled legal team is an invaluable resource. If you need further information or would like to speak to a caring expert about your specific case, please call (512) 280 – 0800 for a free consultation.